Rowley: US $217,000 spent on Cuffie's foreign medical bills

The total expenditure from the Government for Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie's medical bills stands at over TT $2 million.

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, responding to questions in Parliament yesterday, confirmed the $$980,263.39 figure paid to the local medical institution St. Clair medical which was exclusively reported by the Newsday on Thursday.

He also revealed the Government had paid $46,000 for the air ambulance to take Cuffie to the United States and paid US $171,000 for his recovery programme.

Rowley said he had been informed by family members that Cuffie had made considerable progress from when he experienced the medical episode and is likely to return in the "not so distant future."

"The government intervened to assist Minister Cuffie at a time when his life was threatened. The government through normal procedures available to cabinet ministers paid the bill at St Clair Medical Centre in the sum of $$980,263.39," Rowley said.

He said this brought Cuffie to a situation where it was recommended that his condition could be improved if he got urgent treatment abroad.